Because pointing to cool stuff doesn’t take long.

Running out of time here, so instead of the big post I had in mind here’s a link to Girl Genius, one of the best comics ever made. It’s so good it got through my usual distaste of comic books. You can read it for free on the web, or you can buy books to curl up with or as gifts for your friends, loved ones, and me.

They call it a “gaslamp fantasy” series, but most people would call it “steampunk”. Set in a demented version of Europe in a world ruled(poorly) by mad science, Girl Genius follows the adventures of a large cast of larger-than-life characters as they try to survive the escalating chaos. The plot is thick and tangled and darts around like a crazed beast.

The art is so good that it’s a little shocking to look back at the beginning. It wasn’t bad then, it just looks that way compared to now. There are lots of neat little extras all over the website too, so be sure to explore. And apparently they made a novel while I wasn’t looking.